The Arena novel Chapter 44

I wake with Cedric wrapped around me. I’m not sure he could have told me I was his more than he did. He clearly thinks that I’m with Ishir or Avani, eww. What he doesn’t realize is that he hasn’t claimed me. At least not the way a dragon is claimed. He may think I’m his, his mark is on my neck, and he can say it as many times as he wants, but I’m not a claimed dragon.

Of course, ‘the other person’ I spoke about was my daughter, not another man. I have to put her first, and I won’t risk him trying to take her from me. So, until she is old enough and strong enough to stand up to him on her own, she will remain a secret from him.

I slip out of his arms. He was so close to finding my treasure trove. I hope he’ll leave when he wakes up alone, but I don’t have time to get him out of here. I’ve been gone too long, and I need to get back to Kenna.

I shouldn’t have done it. I shouldn’t have let him back in my heart, in my body. I should hate him. I should have so much anger that nothing he did would make a difference. But I can’t. No matter what I do, I can’t hate him. And now, my heart hurts to be with him again.

I walk to the edge of my mountain. I turn to look at him one more time before leaping into the air and shifting. I don’t know how or why, but our lives continue to intersect. I don’t know how long it will be, but I assume I will see him again someday.

I fly as fast as I can back to my daughter. Before I get there, I find a lake and dive in, washing the scent of Cedric off me. The sun is rising when I fly back into the camp that we made. When I land, I shift quickly and put my clothes on. I walk back into our little campsite quietly. Kenna is still asleep.

“You reek of Lycan,” Avani says as I go to sit down beside the fire.

I blow more fire on the dwindling wood. I stoke the fire, not looking at Avani. “Do yourself a favor, Tana. If you and Kenna are going to be here all week, stay in your dragon form.”

Now I do turn and look at him, frowning. “Why?”

“It only took one time to get pregnant with her.” He nods toward Kenna. “It wouldn’t surprise me if there is something in the Lycan’s mate bond that causes you to get pregnant. Dragons, in general, aren’t very fertile, but I have heard that when they find their mates, their reproductive systems become active. So, it’s quite possible that your Lycan impregnated you again. If you stay in your dragon form, you won’t have to worry about another child.”

“How do you know all this?” I ask him.

“I’m nearly three times your age, Tana.”

“How old are you?” I’m 68 if he’s nearly three times my age, then …

“I’m 203 years old. Or, years young, as I like to say.” He stands. “I’ll leave you to your week with Kenna. She’s a great dragon. But she’ll want to meet her father sooner than you’ll want her to. I’m happy to stand in any time. Uncle Avani.” He smiles at his own joke. “But don’t deny him or her forever. She deserves to know her father, and whether or not he deserves it, he should know what an incredible daughter he has.”

He turns and walks a few steps before leaping into the air and flying away.

I spend the rest of the week training my daughter how to fly, swoop, and dive. We practice blowing her fire at different strengths, and we practice her dragon’s call. I follow Avani’s advice, and I stay in my dragon form.

When we get home at the end of the week, I feel like we bonded. And when we go back the following weekend, Kenna doesn’t ask to bring Avani. We begin training every week, going out to the forest, flying together, playing together, and bonding together. This is how I remember my younger years with my family. These are the memories I want for Kenna.

At work, I’ve been tracking the money trails for Sovereign Unlimited. It’s been a slow process. When I found the company for the first offshore account, I called Mr. Dolph to see if he had heard of the company.

“Mr. Dolph, this is Ms. Blaze. I wanted to know if you’ve ever heard of The Masters, Inc.”

“Hello, Ms. Blaze. Always nice to hear from you, but no, I’ve never heard of The Masters, Inc. Should I?”

“Well, I just tracked one of Sovereign Unlimited’s five offshore accounts to this company.”

“Hang on. Alpha,” I hear him yell in the background.

“Hold on, I’m putting you on speakerphone.”

“Okay, Ms. Blaze. You asked if I’d ever heard of a company called The Masters, Inc.?”

“That’s correct.”

It reminds me of when I was with Cedric on my mountain. “No, there isn’t, Mr. Thierry.”

I say goodbye and hang up. I haven’t been back to my mountain or my cave. I’m afraid that Cedric will be there. Instead, Kenna and I go back to the place where we like to practice, far away from the prying eyes of the humans.

I have taken another week off to spend with Kenna. She’s coming up on her fourth birthday. Her control is getting better, and she continues to grow, but I want to make sure that I’ve taught her everything I can before she reaches maturity in another year.

We’ve been here two days, flying and practicing with her fire. I’m hovering, watching her as she flies over the forest, holding her fire just above the tree line, when I hear it: that awful sound. Thunk.

A moment later, I feel the piercing pain in my wing, and it’s only another moment after that when I feel the yank. I turn my head and see them, hunters.

I hear another thunk, and another harpoon pierces my other wing. I begin free-falling to the ground, landing in a crash.

“MOMMA!” Kenna screams when she sees me.

“RUN KENNA! RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!”

I hear another thunk and watch my daughter dodge the harpoon as she sends her dragon’s call. She turns, blowing fire over the hunters.

“KENNA, GET OUT OF HERE!” She ignores me, her fire raging around me.

I hear it again, thunk. As I watch, a harpoon pierces my daughter’s wing. I begin flailing, fighting, tearing my wings, trying to get free to help her. I send out my dragon’s call before I feel ropes wrap around my mouth. My jaws are tied closed, and I’m pulled to the ground, heavy netting thrown over my body.

I can do nothing but watch as another harpoon pierces Kenna, and they bring my daughter to the ground beside me.